The subtitle of this book is a good summary: Bobby Fischer's Remarkable Rise and Fall--from America's Brightest Prodigy to the Edge of Madness. That is what the book is about, and it spins an interesting and compelling tale.
Fischer was born during WWII to a mother who had been estranged from her husband and who was homeless at the time of his birth. He grew up with very few financial resources--which makes his rise in chess remarkable, because it reflects both the sacrifices that his impoverished mother was able to make for his success, and is a tribute to his single minded dedication to the game. These two observations, true from very early on in his childhood, are the biggest clues as to what happened as his life progressed.
He peaked in th early 1970's with his triumph in Iceland--he and Boris Spasky had a life-long relationship as a result, but it marked the beginning of his decline. Fischer became increasingly suspicious, of his government, but of almost everything else as well. He slipped into a solitary, isolated, and increasingly impoverished life for a long period of time. the author notes that more than one psychiatrist noted he was not psychotic, but he certainly sounds delusional at points. He does make an effort to re-enter life at the end of his life, but it is really a career that was most remarkable when he was a youth. Very well written and thought-provoking biography.
No comments:
Post a Comment